Firms that fail to embrace innovative technologies will not be able to keep pace with their competitors, new research suggests.
In a challenging business environment, investments in IT solutions that can make a firm’s operations more flexible and efficient will soon shift from being an advantage to a necessity.
Frost & Sullivan has found that for systems which maximise agility and productivity in both the current and future trading climates, businesses will require an integrated convergence of network, wireline and wireless access and applications.
The industry group has published two white papers entitled Technology Convergence and Information Velocity: The Engines for Business Agility and Workforce Productivity and Simplification Through Convergence: Reducing Cost and Complexities, which analyse the business benefits of harmonising technology to drive an enterprise’s vision.
These show businesses that fail to embrace advancements in technology will struggle against competitors as they need to work harder and faster just in an attempt to reach performance levels that are outside old technologies’ capabilities.
When it comes to essential commercial practices such as data management and disaster recovery, new cloud-based software can control processes much quicker than older methods and these allow man hours to be substantially reduced.
Frost & Sullivan argued that in time, antiquated techniques will become an impediment and businesses still not using modern software will find themselves at a competitive disadvantage to those businesses that routinely progress with technology.
The group explained that the "lynchpin" of effective network convergence is dynamic bandwidth allocation, as this allows multiple traffic types to coexist.
However, potential cost savings with convergence do not end with optimised bandwidth utilisation and other direct cost savings occur via a multi-protocol label switching network, trunking and mobile integration.
Stratecast vice president of research Michael Suby said: "A driving force of convergence is simplification."
"Through simplification, obsolete and expensive technologies are retired, moving your business forward without risking the bottom line. Convergence represents a compelling value proposition."
He added: "Few, if any, businesses can thrive with older technologies and depending on your market situation, you could leapfrog your competitors."